Final Fantasy X: An Alternate Continuation
by goldenvalkyrie
Summary: After defeating Sin, Spira is in complete confusion and disarray. Finding herself unable to answer questions, Yuna retreats to Besaid and joins the Besaid Aurochs as a way to cope with the loss of her love. After a visit from Rikku, Yuna joins her Al Bhed companions on a new journey to uncover Spira's dark past in order to pacify the growing tension.


**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** **Thank you for reading the first chapter of my fic! First of all, I'd just like to say that I don't hate the real Final Fantasy X-2; I thought it was a relatively fun game and the battles were enjoyable. I do, however, feel as though the storyline of the game did not realistically carry the torch of X in many ways. Yuna and Rikku were written out of character and although New Yevon and the Youth League were somewhat likely factions to emerge, it still did not convey the confusion and chaos that would occur after defeating a thousand year old oppressive cycle of death. Why did Yuna give up performing sendings? Why was she not treated with more reverence than a pop-singer celebrity? These are a few criticisms I carry for the game and they are simply my own humble opinion. I have decided after over fifteen years of playing X (one of my favorite games of all time), that I would write a sequel that I found satisfying and perhaps others would enjoy reading. Yuna and Rikku will remain the main characters and a third original character, Maechen's great-great-great-great grandson, a scholar, will be the focus of uncovering Spira's dark and disturbing past. This is accomplished through the memories projected by pyreflies within ancient ruins as we have seen in the Zanarkand Dome and various other places in Spira in the original game and Unsent that still roam Spira that may or may not be aware of their death. It's going to be a lengthy read full of adventure and tasteful plot twists, but I hope to be more faithful to the tone of the first game. Enjoy! -GV**

 **Chapter 1 - Reunion**

Above the hot sands of the Besaid beach, a blistering sun shone down upon a group of practicing Blitzers as they effortlessly tossed the blue sports object to one another. Sweat dripped down the players' faces as they trained extra hard for the upcoming tournament. The only female and youngest of the group, however, suddenly fumbled the ball.

"Ah… I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed, falling onto her knees into the white sand, hands gripping her shoulder-length brown hair in frustration.

An older man in his mid-twenties with towering red hair held back neatly with a blue bandana walked a few feet over to help her up back on her feet. "That's enough practice for you today, Yuna. You're gonna wear yourself out, ya?"

The former Summoner's eyebrows and eyes indicated that she was fighting back a few tears, but she did not give into her emotions. "I… probably won't make the tournament… will I, Wakka?" she asked gently, partly not wanting to know the answer.

Wakka remained silent for a few minutes, as if to piece together what to say without offending his younger companion. "Ay listen here, you've been practicing for over a year now and have come a long way, ya? Blitzball takes a lot of practice, and you've made an impressive amount 'a progress!" He cheered his team mate up with a gentle pat on the back.

Smiling back at her former guardian, she knew he was right; Yuna was never much of an athlete but she had made a tremendous amount of progress in her first year of training to become a blitzball player. She was now able to hold her breath for the duration of a game with ease. Perhaps her only fallback at this moment in time was the fact that she was trying too hard to progress at the sport and it had caused her to become physically and emotionally exhausted.

"Anyway, little sister, you need to get some rest, eh? Pushing yourself too hard only increases your chances of getting injured," lectured Wakka as he ushered her to the pathway back to the village. "Tell Lulu I'll be back before nightfall." Of course, the other players had no intention of ceasing to practice which frustrated Yuna. She wanted to keep practicing with them; she knew pushing herself too far would be counterproductive, so she heeded Wakka's advice and began treading the path back to Besaid village.

The beautiful road over waterways and rocky hills underneath the clear blue sky held such dear memories to her; she thought of them each and every time she trekked the land by herself. Once upon a time, she needed the strength of her guardians to guide her through the fiends, but now she handled any with ease by her lonesome; without anyone, without her aeons. Now, the path back home was solitary. It was okay, though, because these beautiful memories of the past gave her energy and drive to keep going every day.

As she walked a few yards passed the vine-draped ruins, there was a rope fence marking off the cliff overlooking the small village. Though she was getting closer to home, she felt restless. Would Lulu make her take a nap? The black mage, who regarded Yuna as a younger sister, was never shy about lecturing her about over-exertion during practice. Of course, Lulu was simply concerned for the High summoner's well being as was Wakka, but it was becoming a daily occurrence and it was beginning to get... tiresome.

A little farther down the hill stood the deteriorated statue where the islanders would pray before a long journey. As she made to the front of the eroded monument, she let out a long sigh. This is where they stood together. Him - he was completely ignorant of a summoner's fate. 'What's taking so long?' He'd say impatiently at each stop, never knowing what was going to happen. Because of him, she never knew she'd still be here and yet - he was the one who disappeared in her place.

Though over a year had gone by, all of these memories still felt so fresh and vivid as if they only happened yesterday. A part of Yuna knew she had to come to terms with reality; Tidus was gone forever. He wasn't meant to be in Spira in the first place. Who was she to blame for it? Sin, who animated Jecht and his son, or the Fayth who dreamed an alternate Zanarkand in the first place? It all seemed to create much more questions than answers and that very reason frustrated her every waking day.

Amongst all of the confusion and heartbreak, Yuna knew she had to stay strong and optimistic as the first living High Summoner of Spira. There was much work to be done because the dead still needed guidance. Once she headed back into the village, she was positive that there would be some work laid out for her.

Finally gathering the motivation to leave, she gave the monument a former prayer of Yevon. Nowadays, the prayer was only used for blitzball, as it was originally intended 1000 years ago.

It was now noon and the village seemed slightly more bustling than usual. The volume of both adults and children running around was atypical as this was normally time for working or learning. Her legendary status was already apparent as a group of young children had run towards the High Summoner in greeting. A smile immediately found its way on Yuna's face. Defeating Sin had brought happiness to so many lives and their exuberance inspired her to keep pressing forward.

"Lady Yuna, are you gonna come to to temple?" asked a tiny boy who gripped her hand in excitement. She crouched down to meet him at eye-level.

"The unraveling of the statue, that's right," she thought out loud, placing a hand on the child's brunette hair. "I'll be there, I promise!"

A voice called out in the distance and the children said farewell to their hero. It looked like everyone was already heading towards the temple for a celebration. Instead of following the crowd, Yuna decided to sneak away towards Lulu and Wakka's hut. Lulu was sitting in the middle of the room, a cup of tea in hand.

"Overdoing it again?" The mature woman asked nonchalantly as she sipped her steaming hot beverage, staring at Yuna with her piercing red eyes. If one did not know Lulu personally, she came across as insensitive aloof. Those who were close to her knew that she was indeed a very kind-hearted person who had no trouble demonstrating her tough-love approach to life.

Yuna gave a small apologetic bow. "Sorry… I suppose I did over do it again. I'm not tired, though, honest."

Lulu sighed and gestured towards an empty backless chair. "Have a seat. You sound like a lost child making excuses to avoid their bedtime." She poured Yuna a cup of hot tea as she made herself comfortable on an adjacent seat beside the table. "You know, Yuna," she began, "It's okay to talk about your feelings once in awhile. I know you're not much of a complainer… but sometimes you do have to express how you feel."

Yuna was a young woman who never expressed her grievances and carried the weight of the world on her shoulders. She was inept at concealing her inner turmoil, however, and her face revealed all of the pent-up emotion she held within. "I… just want to be able to play in the next tournament."

The former guardian remained silent for a few minutes. Finally, after taking a sip of tea from her cerulean colored ceramic vessel, she replied, "You know, when Chappu died, it was very difficult for me to voice my own feelings about it. Sometimes I still can't bring myself to talk about him. It's important to leave the past behind, even though it's painful."

Yuna knew where this conversation was headed. Although she trusted Lulu akin to a blood-relative, she preferred not to re-open the emotional wound whenever possible. "Blitzball is what brings me closer to him. It may seem foolish, but…I feel as though I am carrying on his legacy. I will try my hardest to accomplish that," she finally admitted.

Lulu arched her eyebrows in concern. "Well, we all have our ways of coping with our pain, Yuna, but are you sure that this is the right way to do it? I loved Chappu very much, but I didn't join the Crusaders to keep his memory alive."

"With all due respect, Lulu, I just don't think our situations can be compared. Blitzball is a sport that has united Spira during Sin's destruction and continues to do so while the Crusaders… how many lives were lost in the name of Yevon? If it weren't for him, Yevon would have taken me, too," Yuna replied, gazing into her now cooled-off cup of tea with stoic eyes.

"You're right, I shouldn't have said something so insensitive. I'm sorry," Lulu apologized. "It really does bother me to see you like this, especially because you're young and you have a great future ahead of you."

Yuna nodded in agreement. "I know. I have so much to be thankful for and I couldn't ask for better friends in my life. We have accomplished something so amazing that it still feels like a dream. Now that Sin is gone and everyone can finally live without that fear, I don't want to trouble others with my feelings. That is why… I choose not to talk about it."

"I understand. Just remember; it's not selfish to open up once in awhile ," Lulu advised as she stood up from her seat. "Well, I suppose it's time to see what the fuss is about over at the temple. I understand if you don't want to come along."

Yuna rose up in order to join her companion. "I'm fine. I have to go. It took so long for the statue to arrive at the temple, the least I can do is celebrate with everyone. Oh, I almost forgot to tell you; Wakka said he'd be home before dark."

Lulu shook her head slowly in disapproval as she walked towards the entrance of the hut. "He's been overdoing it too. I suppose there's no use scolding a stubborn man like Wakka, especially when the tournament is so close." Yuna gave a small chuckle, knowing very well that Wakka was as stubborn as a shoopuf. He was also very driven to be half the blitzer the Star Player was.

Before they exited the small structure, Lulu placed a caring sleeve-covered hand on Yuna's shoulder and gave a gentle smile. "Even though it doesn't show, I miss him too. We have much to thank him for."

The two women ascended the stairs into the dark, musty temple that was filled to the brim with people. Besaid had always been such a small and insignificant island, so it was definitely out of the ordinary to see near-Luca volumes of traffic within the temple halls. After Yuna's journey was over, tourism on the small island definitely picked up, even if only slightly. A few tourists even fell in love with the tropical paradise and permanently resettled on the island. Even though temple wasn't used as often as it once was, the islanders still revered it as a place to respect the lives lost to Yevon's corruption and left it standing.

As High Summoner Yuna and Guardian Lulu stepped into the hall, everyone immediately turned towards the pair, became silent, and bowed their heads in reverence. Even though it had been longer than a year since Yuna and her guardians had vanquished Sin, the treatment still felt undeserving. After all, it was a group effort. Without everyone by her side, it just didn't feel… right. 'I'll think of something! We can't just let Yuna die.'

Besaid magistrate Olcan, a tall and healthy man in his mid-forties, stood on the highest step on the stone staircase leading to the Trials. "High Summoner Yuna and Guardian Lulu, we welcome you!" the man's cheery voice boomed throughout the hall. The crowd parted ways and Yuna and Lulu joined him on the cold pedestal. A few younger folks in the crowd waved enthusiastically and Yuna humbly gave a one-handed wave and smiled back.

Olcan continued, "We have all gathered here to celebrate the unveiling of our High Summoner, the savior of Spira! We owe the very first living High Summoner our eternal gratitude for allowing us to live without being in fear every waking moment of the day. Our children can finally grow up in a world without Sin!" The crowd cheered and clapped, creating a deafening sound within the small hall.

"Because temples are no longer used for the Fayth or the false teachings of Yevon, we have decided to place our monument in a very special location. Lady Yuna and Guardian Lulu, if you would please follow me!" The energetic towering man clad in lightweight azure slacks and a yellow tunic led the two women outside to the entrance of the temple, right before the steps leading down into the village.

Turning around, Yuna noticed two tall concealed statues standing to the left and right of the pillars leading into the temple. Two? Surely they didn't make two statues of her. The situation was now becoming a little confusing. Beside each statue stood a former Crusader clad in armor (they were now employed as Besaid patrolmen) and were ready to unveil the statues when the signal was given.

"High Summoner Yuna, behold our gift to you!" Olcan exclaimed excitedly while waving his arm in order to signal the patrolmen. At the same time, the two muscular young men carefully pulled off the canvas sheets that protected the works of art beneath.

Yuna and Lulu gasped in awe at the first, which was a beautiful representation of Yuna in her former Yevonite garb carved in high quality marble. The other, however, made Yuna's heart flutter. She walked a little closer to it to make sure that she was indeed seeing correctly with her eyes. The second statue was none other than the Son of Jecht - Tidus, her legendary guardian; the man she had everything to thank for. The crowd of Besaid islanders and visitors alike cheered loudly.

Lulu laughed at Yuna's reaction as she wasn't the least bit surprised. Yuna turned towards her and said, "Lulu, you knew?" The guardian nodded.

"Lulu and Wakka offered to commission the statue and I was sworn to secrecy," explained Olcan, who touched Yuna's shoulder in an almost fatherly manner while smiling. "Of course, we gladly accepted the request and couldn't accept their money for it. All of Spira knows about the legendary guardian Jecht and his son's sacrifice."

Fighting back tears of happiness, Yuna bowed to Olcan. "I really appreciate it, Magistrate, I really do. They truly were the Fayths' last blessing for Yevon."

With a wide grin, Olcan gestured towards the village streets which were set up with various refreshments and musicians. "Let us celebrate this joyous occasion!" his booming voice carried over the crowd who wasted no time in participating in the festivities.

"It's good to see them happy," Lulu said with her arms crossed as per usual. Yuna nodded in agreement. The scenario before her seemed unreal; Besaid had really changed for the better. The village was now filled with permanent structures rather than temporary huts, the surrounding woods were deforested to create several new homes and shops, and everyone on the island never stopped smiling. This was Yuna's dream come true.

"Hey, Yuna! Lu!" Wakka shouted as he pushed his way through the crowd and finally up to the stone steps of the temple veranda. He approached his two friends out of breath. "I'm sorry I missed the unveiling… I forgot it was today, ya?" Lulu sighed and shook her head in annoyance at Wakka's irresponsibility which caused Yuna to laugh.

"It's fine, Wakka, really! I'd like to thank you both for being so thoughtful," said Yuna, who now felt much better than earlier. "Let's take a closer look. There's so much detail!" The threesome walked over to inspect the first statue of Yuna on the left side of the temple.

"Hmm," began Wakka, "It looks exactly like you." He walked to the back of the statue observing the fine craftsmanship, even down to Yuna's obi-belt.

"Am I… always that serious?" asked Yuna who was captivated with the determined look on the sculpture's face. It gripped onto a replica of Yuna's summoning staff with both hands as if it were about to summon an aeon.

Wakka and Lulu looked at each other and then nodded in agreement. "That's how you look when you set your mind to something. It's not a bad thing," explained Lulu.

"It's still strange to not see you in that Yevon attire, ya?" stated Wakka. Yuna now sported a two-piece blitzball uniform she designed herself; she wore a white wrap top that exposed her midriff as well as black boy-shorts that were covered by a lilac side skirt with the Zanarkand Abes logo embroidered on it in pale pink. A leather pauldron covered her left shoulder and ran down the length of her arm which was a common blitzball protective sleeve that attached to a wrist-high gauntlet. The garments were custom crafted by the loom shop next door. Though Yuna preferred more conservative clothing, practicing Blitzball in the summer of Besaid required something much more breathable.

"I agree. It's still a little strange, but I had to leave Yevon behind," stated Yuna. Everyone had to let go of the archaic religion, save for a few religious cultists. The world was still in a state of confusion because of the eradication of Sin and the exposure of Yevon's true face. Spira had so many questions that Yuna couldn't answer, so she returned to Besaid to avoid the chaos that plagued Bevelle.

The threesome now moved on to the next statue; Tidus who had a blitzball in one hand and the Brotherhood sword in another. His eyebrows were furrowed in determination, but he wore a slight smirk that was very characteristic of him.

"It's a good representation," said Lulu, impressed for once. "When we gave the sculptor the sphere we had, I wasn't sure if he could do it."

Wakka nodded. "And Chappu's sword! Very nice touch."

Yuna nodded in agreement, though she didn't inspect the craftsmanship as much as she wanted to. Seeing this physical representation did make her feel grateful that she had an image to look at every day, but she didn't want to make it obvious to her guardians just how much she really missed him.

Suddenly, a loud grumble came from the direction of Wakka's stomach. "Heh, sorry! I didn't eat all day, ya?" So the three left the newly placed monuments behind and went to enjoy the food and festivities.

Yuna couldn't remember the last time Besaid had thrown such a large celebration. As the sun began to descend into the horizon, multiple fires were lit and musicians and acrobats began performing around town much to everyone's delight. A few sphere reporter teams recorded the event, as watching from the comfort of one's home or local pub was becoming more common.

Wakka helped himself to a heaping plate of grilled pineapple and Elder Marlina's spring rolls. Lulu and Yuna joined in the feast, though they chose not to overindulge like Wakka. The trio decided to sit around one of the warm fire pits that now lit the village under the night sky. Not much conversation was exchanged as Wakka wolfed down his food as if it were his last meal in Spira. As Yuna and Lulu were finishing up, he had already grabbed some Coconut Nectar from a nearby stand; this was the island's specialty alcoholic beverage.

"Really, Wakka? Don't you remember what happened last time you drank?" Lulu reminded him in a brazen tone of voice.

Wakka waved his hand dismissively. "C'mon, Lu! It's been over a year since that happened. After all of the practice lately, I need a drink."

Yuna walked over to the counter and grabbed two drinks herself and resumed sitting on the stone ground beside Lulu. She reached over to the grumpy guardian, offering her the drink in hand.

"You too, Yuna?" Lulu asked, surprised.

Yuna nodded. "We don't get to enjoy ourselves very often. It is a special day, after all."

Reluctantly, Lulu accepted her younger friend's offer. "Well, just this once I suppose we can indulge." The three friends clinked their ceramic drinking vessels in celebration before imbibing.

The night was filled with reminiscing and conversation regarding the old times on the island and how much it all had changed, especially after they defeated Sin. Lulu even talked about Chappu openly without becoming moody, which Yuna particularly enjoyed.

Three drinks in, Wakka's voice had become louder and people were looking over to see what the ruckus was. Putting his arm around Yuna, he attempted to lower his voice after being shushed by Lulu. "Listen, I know you're feeling discouraged about practice," Wakka stated, slightly unsteady in his balance. Yuna used a bit of her own strength to help him stay upright. Wakka was never much for holding his liquor. Neither was Yuna, but she decided to limit herself to one. "I really think you're gonna make it as a blitzball player. You're already better'n I was at your age, as much as my pride doesn't want to admit it, ya? And... and sometimes I gotta act hard on you because that's what coaches do, you know? Can't have ya thinking there's no room for improvement."

Hearing this encouragement come from Wakka's mouth lifted her spirits as high as Mount Gagazet. "R-really? You mean that, Wakka? It's not just the Coconut Nectar doing the talking?"

He laughed and rubbed the back of his tall red hair in embarrassment at Yuna's newfound sassiness. "Nah, I really mean it. I was gonna wait 'til tomorrow, but right now's a good a time as any to tell ya: we're takin' you to Luca for the tournament."

Yuna remained silent for a few minutes to process Wakka's words. She had convinced herself earlier that she wasn't good enough to go to the tournament so now she felt foolish for drawing conclusions so early. "I won't let you down. Thank you, captain," she replied with sincerity, swallowing a lump of emotion in her throat. Captain Wakka was right, though: in order to maximize her potential, she couldn't let compliments get to her head. Now that she knew her hard work was paying off, she felt even more encouraged to be an asset to the Aurochs when it came time for the tournament.

Lulu gently smiled at Wakka's words. "I guess my constant scolding isn't working on either of you. Well, I wish you both the best of luck in the tournament."

Wakka brushed aside Lulu's remark. "Bah, who needs luck? We're gonna win with skill and strategy!" he shouted enthusiastically, jumping up from a seated position into a fist-clenched victory pose.

Yuna stood up from the ground and mimicked him. "Right!"

"Hmph. That cheerful attitude certainly sounds familiar. Well, it's getting late and I'm going to head to bed. I suppose I'm showing my age," remarked Lulu with sarcasm. Although she was only 23 years old, she had matured at a very early age and was even a guardian to two other summoners before guarding Yuna. Therefore, Lulu viewed the world with an acquired wisdom most others did not have.

Wakka concurred with Lulu. "I'm coming too. Gotta get up early for practice, ya? You too, Yuna, let's get some sleep."

All three friends decided to head back to their home which was a short distance away from the festival grounds. Although there were permanent houses being built all over the island, they decided to remain living in their hut on the main drag of the village. An addition to the home was recently built onto the backside which was reserved for Yuna and Lulu.

As Wakka unveiled the cloth drapery that protected the doorway, he shouted, "H-Hey show yourself!" in an alarmed voice, readying his blitzball for defense.

A young teenaged Al Bhed girl, a race of people known for their blonde hair and green eyes with swirling pupils, emerged from the other room of the hut with a very wide dimpled grin. "Awww Wakka, you ruined it. I was gonna surprise Yunie. Heya!"

"Rikku!" everyone shouted in excitement at the third Legendary Guardian who helped defeat Sin. She also happened to be Yuna's maternal cousin, meaning Yuna was half Al Bhed herself. The race of people were previously outcasted by Yevon because of their use of machina, but after defeating Sin, they were now able to travel freely throughout most of Spira without prejudice.

After Rikku and her cousin greeted each other with an ecstatic hug, Lulu and Wakka also embraced their old friend. Though she was much younger than the other guardians, they all shared a deep mutual respect for each other's talents and efforts.

"It's great to see you. I think it's been about a year since you've last visited. What brings you all the way out here?" asked Lulu, who offered a seat to Rikku as everyone gathered around the circular table in the center of the room.

After accepting the offer, Rikku went on to explain, "Well, I saw a sphere broadcast on our airship talking about Yunie's statue unveiling. It took some time to get here, but I had to visit."

"You traveled all the way out here just to see a statue, eh?" asked Wakka, "Cid and your bruddah didn't mind you taking a break from salvaging?"

It was a well known fact that the Al-Bhed were opportune machina salvagers. The Machina War over a thousand years prior to Sin's defeat left many advanced still-working machines waiting to be excavated all over Spira. Now that Yevon was exposed for lying about the use of machina being the cause of Sin's inception, it was now legal for the Al Bhed to open excavation sites in previous 'holy places'. Rikku's family were very skilled at salvaging and started a profitable business that recently began selling machina to towns and cities all over Spira. Sometimes visiting remote locations took months on end of uncovering lost artifacts from an ancient era.

"Heh, about that; I unfortunately had to make a deal with them to get here…" admitted Rikku, "I told them there were a ton of ruins on the island that weren't salvaged yet. They're asking the Magistrate for clearance right now."

Wakka crossed his arms in obvious annoyance. Although machina was now legal, the former guardian still had his superstitions about them.

Reading Wakka's body language, Rikku apologized. "Sorry, Wakka… I know you're not the biggest fan of machina, but we're uncovering all sorts of useful tools that can really help Spira! And we won't disturb the area too much. Us Al Bhed are pros at working fast and efficiently."

"Well… as long as you don't cause too much of a ruckus, ya? The old folks around here are still stuck in their old ways, you know?" Wakka cautioned his Al Bhed friend.

"Hmph. We could say the same about you," remarked Lulu with a smirk, which caused Rikku and Yuna to erupt into mild laughter. Although he was initially a devout Yevonite who was adamantly against machina and the Al Bhed, Wakka was eventually convinced that most of the hearsay surrounding the subjects were in fact untrue. Machina weapons were mainly what still bothered him because so many Crusaders, including his brother Chappu, had lost their lives using them.

"How are Cid and Brother doing?" Yuna asked Rikku from her adjacent seat. Though she hadn't seen much of her relatives since meeting them briefly during her pilgrimage, she was gracious for their important role in defeating Sin.

Rikku put a finger up to her chin in thought. "Weeelll, their health seems to be okay, but you know them: they're all work work work and no play. Pops and Brother have been really irritable lately, so I think they decided to come to Besaid to take a short break."

"Except… they're still going to work. It's not really a break," Yuna surmised with a hint of concern in her voice.

Rikku shrugged. "It's on a nice, warm island for a change. Sure beats all of the cold remote places we've been to the past year. The night is so young, Yunie, and I really want to catch up. Can we go see the new statue?"

Yuna shot a questioning look over to the Aurochs' Captain. He was already lounging on his cot in the corner of the room, arms tucked under his head.

"Just be 'dere for practice in the morning, ya? Have fun, you two," he replied, reading her eyes accurately.

The Al Bhed cousins traveled back outside into the village streets which were winding down from earlier. Most of the concession stands were in the process of being torn down and most tourists had gone to the newly-built town Travel Agency or left via the S.S. Liki back to Kilika. The streets were still illuminated by tiki torches and fire pits that were occupied by the village's long-time residents.

At the foot of the temple steps, Rikku stopped and studied her cousin's new attire with an arched eyebrow. "Hmmmm. New sporty outfit? Practice in the morning? Yunie, you never told me you were a blitzball player now."

Yuna smiled sheepishly at her cousin's observation; half in embarrassment from not telling her about it sooner and half at hearing herself being referred to as a 'Blitzball Player'. "Yes, I began playing for the Aurochs nearly a year ago. I'm sorry I didn't tell you about it when I sent you that last sphere; I wanted to improve at the sport before saying anything about it. Today, Wakka told me that I will be going to Luca to compete for the Crystal Cup in a few weeks."

Rikku put a hand on her forehead in disbelief. "We really do have a ton to catch up on. I can't believe High Summoner Yunie became a blitzball player and is playing in the tournament! Is that what you've been doing this entire time? I didn't hear any news about you in the last six months other than the festival today."

Yuna nodded. "I ultimately decided to stay in Besaid for the time being and began focusing all of my time and energy on blitzball. A part of me feels like it wasn't the right thing to do. Spira is still in disarray and confusion over what happened with Yevon, but… I only defeated Sin. In the end, I didn't have any answers and I only created more questions. It almost feels like I ran away," she explained wistfully while trying to suppress the weighing guilt she had buried away a year prior.

Rikku gave her cousin a sympathetic look. "Hmmm, I can see why you would feel that way. But on the bright side: people sure love blitzball, and they love you, so it wasn't a bad move. I know that you feel like you can't help Spira anymore, Yunie, but you can!"

"What do you mean?" questioned Yuna without a clue of what Rikku was referring to.

"Why don't you come with us on a salvaging mission? We're a little short handed right now, but we've been uncovering all sorts of history about Spira. We couldn't make heads or tails of it, so we hired our own Chronicler to record our findings. It works to our benefit because he records all of the machina parts we find into a catalog and valuable history."

"You almost sound like Rin," laughed Yuna, who meant that comparison positively - Rin was, after all, one of the most proficient businessmen in all of Spira. "It's exciting that you're finding out so much, but how could I be of help?"

"Even though tons of villages and towns want our wares, there's still a liiiiittle bit of tension between old school Yevonites and the Al Bhed. When someone like Brother tries to speak anything other than Al Bhed, it's just one giant miscommunication! With High Summoner Yunie at our side, everyone would take us a little more seriously. And if you don't have the answers for everyone in Spira, why not answer a few with the information we find?"

Rikku's proposed plan made Yuna's heart skip a beat with anticipation. There was still so much she herself did not know about Spira and it sincerely disturbed her soul that she could not offer more closure to the confused state of the world. Perhaps this was her true calling in post-Sin Spira.

"It sounds like a wonderful idea, it's really does… but I've already dedicated myself to something for the time being. Would it really be right to abandon that?" Yuna was a woman who was determined until the end and she was willing to die for her convictions. Giving up blitzball, a sport she had worked her very hardest to learn, would be a highly uncharacteristic decision for her to make.

Before answering Yuna's question, Rikku walked over about fifteen feet towards the torch-illuminated statue of the Great High Summoner. The shadows of the night exaggerated the contours of the carving, making the avatar of Yuna seem even more serious than in daylight.

"Did you… join blitzball for him?" Rikku asked without beating around the bush.

"I did, yes. I couldn't tell Wakka or Lulu that it was my reason for joining at first, but they knew. It's how I've coped with his loss, as foolish as that makes me," explained Yuna as she joined her cousin's side near the monument.

Rikku, who had a short attention span at times, changed the subject. "Yunie, this statue makes you look way too serious, like we're about to run after some fiends. It makes me miss the old days, y'know? When we would all fight together, side by side."

Yuna smiled at Rikku, "I miss them too. I guess it's silly that I still can't let go of the past."

Rikku shook her head in disagreement. "I don't think it's silly at all. Those were the best times off my life. I miss him too, Yunie. Don't forget - I found him right after Sin brought him here. It wasn't a coincidence that we all crossed paths."

"It definitely wasn't a coincidence, of that I'm sure," agreed Yuna. "There was another statue unveiled today. It's a little dark on the other side of the temple, but I think we'll be able to make it out."

"Not a problem!" exclaimed the former guardian with a cheeky grin. "I've got this little do-hicky we've been developing," from her pocket, she pulled an almost palm-sized translucent sphere and clicked a button on the top. As a result, the object enveloped everything within a five foot radius in a soft yellow-tinted light. "It helps us see in dark caverns with natural lighting. It's super handy!"

Before Yuna could express her curiosity of the hand-held machina, Rikku led the way to the other marble statue. The machina illuminated the expertly-crafted marble statue of Tidus, to which Rikku gasped in awe. "Wow, it looks just like him!"

"Wakka and Lulu had it commissioned, but the village declined their gil for it. I never realized how many people appreciated him and Jecht. It's definitely encouraging to know that they weren't forgotten," reflected Yuna, who studied the statue once more. It was strange to have a visual of him that wasn't the Farplane. She hadn't yet worked up the courage to go. The Farplane was for the dead, so seeing him floating in the sunny fields of pyreflies meant it was over forever.

"Everyone knows who Tidus and Jecht are! The Al Bhed seem to be the only ones who believe that they're from Zanarkand, though. The rest of Spira's still a bit skeptical," explained Rikku, who had the privilege of discussing the events of the battle against Sin with many people throughout Spira on her travels.

"I guess they just don't know what to believe anymore. I don't fault them," Yuna said sympathetically. "It isn't easy losing everything you learned in life."

"Hey Yunie, why don't you come check out the ruins tomorrow after practice? We never stop working until nightfall, and you can get a little sneak peak at the job and see if it's for you."

Yuna smiled at Rikku's persistence. "Well, alright. I can't say no to that." She then let a yawn escape while keeping her hand over her mouth.

"Yikes, we both should get to bed. We've got a long day ahead of us," concluded an equally tired Rikku. She gave Yuna a hug and the two went their separate ways for the night.


End file.
